This invention relates generally to invalid devices and, more particularly, is directed to a walking aid cane.
Various people, such as disabled and elderly people, require the aid of an invalid device to walk. Many types of invalid devices are known, such as walkers, canes and the like.
One problem with conventional walking canes, however, is that there is a single leg for supporting the cane on a ground surface, thereby providing some instability. Accordingly, canes having a plurality of legs have been developed over the years, the most common type using four legs and being generally known as "quad canes". An example of such a quad cane is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,044,784 to Alfred A. Smith in which an adjustable upright tubular support extends through a base plate and is connected to the base plate thereat. A handle is provided at the upper end of the upright tubular support for permitting a user to grasp the cane. Four legs are provided beneath the base plate and are connected by brazing to both the base plate and the lower end of the upright tubular support that extends through the base plate.
With this arrangement, however, because the legs are welded by brazing to the lower end of the upright tubular support, the upright tubular support is softened or annealed, thereby weakening the structure of the cane. Further, an impact on one leg during use, will result in an egg-shaped deformation of the lower end of the upright tubular support, which further weakens the structure and also may result in the cane being off-balance. The reason for the egg-shaped deformation is that the securement at the lower end of the upright tubular support tube occurs only on diametrically opposite sides thereof where it is secured to the legs.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,289,685 to Parker discloses a walking aid cane in which the upright tubular support has its lower end eccentrically connected on the upper surface of a circular base, with four legs being connected around the periphery of the base. This device, however, does not provide adequate stability since the spacing between the legs depends on the size of the base, that is, to obtain a large spacing of the legs, there must be a large base. Also, the device is relatively complicated in construction in the cane art, and thereby relatively expensive to manufacture.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,550,602 to Hesterman discloses a walking aid in which the upright tubular support is connected near a mid-point thereof through a base, and four adjustable legs are angularly connected to the base. However, with this device, the center of gravity is very high. Therefore, the legs must be extremely large and angled with respect to each other to provide the required stability. This becomes unwieldy in use and is also difficult to manufacture.
Other devices which are less relevant than those discussed above are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,802,323 to Aulmann; 2,195,034 to Miller; 2,208,195 to Paul; 2,244,869 to Everest et al.; 2,642,074 to Pedley et al.; and 2,785,731 to Welsh. These Patents were all cited as prior art in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,044,784.
Further, quad canes have been known as early as the 1960's, for example, as sold by Edco Surgical Supply Co., Inc., of Passaic, N.J. These quad canes have been provided with an upright tubular support having a handle at the upper end thereof and four legs, connected to the lower end of the upright tubular support by connecting bars. However, these quad canes, besides being generally difficult to manufacture, have not been entirely satisfactory from a stability and integrity standpoint.